Kubernetes is not exactly under-the-radar technology. Kubecon, the main event for Kubernetes in the US, was sold out. People such as Sarah Wells, technical director for operations and reliability at The Financial Times, say its phenomenal growth is a sign that the technology is “crossing the chasm” to reach the early adopters.

The key driver behind Kubernetes’ popularity is its ability to help the people whose job is to make sure applications are seamlessly deployed and run on premises and in the cloud. Kubernetes is evolving from supporting simple, stateless applications to sophisticated data-driven applications—and data platform providers are taking note.

ZDNet spoke with two of the trailblazers on the transition from big data to flexible data, DataStax and Hortonworks. Their insights help us map where we are on this journey.

From big data to flexible data
It’s no secret: Big data as we know it is dead. Not that data volume, variety, velocity, and veracity are showing any signs of breaking down—on the contrary. It’s just that the realities of the underlying technology have changed, and with them, the architectures and the economics are changing, too.

Hadoop, for example, which has been the poster child of the big data era, was built in a world with different fundamental assumptions from the world we live in today. A world in which network latency was a major bottleneck and cloud storage was not a competitive option. In that world, most data was on-premises, and making sure data was co-located with compute to avoid having to move them around made a lot of sense.

Today, network latency is less an issue for cloud providers, and there are more of them to choose from, so we are talking about multi-cloud. Furthermore, for an array of reasons, many organizations are also deploying their own private clouds on premises, so we are talking about hybrid cloud. We are facing a situation in which data is still big, but it also needs to be flexible. ]]>Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the ebook:

The top cloud providers for 2019 have maintained their positions, but the themes, strategies, and approaches to the market are all in flux. The infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) wars have been largely decided, with the spoils going to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. But new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, have opened up the field to other players.

Meanwhile, the cloud computing market in 2019 will have a decidedly multi-cloud spin, as the hybrid shift by players such as IBM, which is acquiring Red Hat, could change the landscape. This year’s edition of the top cloud computing providers also features software-as-a-service (SaaS) giants that will increasingly run more of your enterprise’s operations via expansion.

One thing to note about the cloud in 2019 is that the market isn’t zero sum. Cloud computing is driving IT spending overall. For instance, Gartner predicts that 2019 global IT spending will increase 3.2 percent to $3.76 trillion with as-a-service models fueling everything from data center spending to enterprise software.

In fact, it’s quite possible that a large enterprise will consume cloud computing services from every vendor in this guide. The real cloud innovation may be from customers that mix and match the following public cloud vendors in unique ways.]]>Mon, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000
This policy describes the organization's processes for requesting, obtaining, using, and terminating access to organization networks, systems, and data for the purpose of enabling staff members to regularly work remotely on a formal basis.

From the policy:

Summary
Today’s technology allows companies to offer employees the opportunity to work from home, on the road, or from just about anywhere besides the corporate office. This can benefit both the employee and the company in various ways. But as more and more employees ask to telecommute, companies must have a viable telecommuting policy.

Objective
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for employees who want to participate in the organization’s telecommuting program.

Compensation and work hours
The employee’s compensation, benefits, work status, and work responsibilities will not change due to participation in the telecommuting program. The amount of time the employee is expected to work per day or pay period will not change as a result of participation in the program.

Eligibility
Employees will be selected based on the suitability of their jobs, an evaluation of the likelihood of their being successful telecommuters, and the approval of their supervisor. Each department will make its own telecommuting decisions and be responsible for measuring the success of the results. Before telecommuting, employees must read and sign this Telecommuting Policy. Due to various job responsibilities, not all employees will be eligible to telecommute. The IT department can’t support any telecommuter who has not returned an Acknowledgement of Telecommuting Policy form signed by both the employee and the employee’s manager.

Equipment
The company may provide tools and equipment for employees to use in fulfilling their job responsibilities from a remote location. The equipment may include computer hardware, smartphones, tablets, routers, modems, software programs, phone lines, email, voicemail, connectivity to host applications, VPN support, and other applicable resources as deemed necessary. The use of these resources, when provided by the company for use at the remote work location, is limited to authorized persons for purposes relating to company business only.

Depending on the nature of the job, telecommuting employees may instead use their own equipment. Employees are responsible for the installation, repair, and maintenance of all personal equipment used for telecommuting. They must also understand and agree that the company may access for job-related purposes any personal equipment used while telecommuting.
]]>Fri, 08 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the guidelines:

Analyze the business first
Before decision makers can begin choosing from the plethora of potential data analytics software and services available, they must know why they need data analytics in the first place. The factors and features that separate one vendor or one solution from another can be determined only after the business itself is researched, analyzed, and documented.

This business enterprise self-audit process may involve several research steps. Here are some items that need to be considered:

Extensive interviews with the business stakeholders. Who will access the data? What do they hope to gain from that access to data? What is their expertise? Will they need training? What is missing from the current data management system?

A comprehensive audit of the current data management and analytics system. What tools are currently in place? Are they effective? What could they do better? Does the current vendor(s) offer those missing tools?

A thorough analysis of the type of data being produced by the business enterprise. What sort of data is being generated now and what sort of data will be generated in the future? Is the data uniform and clean or is it inconsistent and messy? Does the data come in bursts or does it flow at a constant rate?

An assessment of current personnel and their specific skill sets. Will a data scientist be required? Will the business need to hire one? Will the business need specialists in the visualization of data? Is there a need for data visualization tools? Is there a need for dashboard tools?

A well-documented and realistic budget. How much is your business willing to spend on new data analytics software or services? How much will be allocated for the services each year? How much will be spent on training? How many new personnel will be hired and what compensation will they receive?

Clear business goals. What is the strategic purpose of data analytics for the business? How will new data management and analytics improve the business? What is to be accomplished?

Clear success metrics. How will the business measure success? What will determine success? Who will decide what success looks like?

Only after making a thorough assessment of your current data management and analytics business situation can you begin to assess the merits of vendors and the solutions they offer.
]]>Thu, 07 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000
More on VPN selection:

The virtual private network (VPN) service provider market is nothing if not crowded, which makes picking a provider a difficult process. Whether you intend to use your VPN for added security when using free Wi-Fi networks, trying to shield your internet use from your ISP, or aiming to circumvent geographical restrictions when traveling, how you want to use a VPN should influence what service provider you choose.

For the sake of security and continuity, choosing a provider that allows multiple active connections to accommodate all your connected devices--computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.--is advisable. Most providers offer three to five connections in their basic tier.

It is also important to consider potential security risks of DNS leaks. While all VPN services route traffic through their servers, if the DNS lookups for the websites you visit are still routed through your ISP, it is possible for your ISP to determine what websites you are browsing, defeating the purpose entirely.

VPN services are free to make claims in their advertising of "no logging," but the reality is usually quite different. VPN providers with bandwidth caps necessarily must log used bandwidth to enforce the caps. Many VPN providers that claim they don't log user activity still retain login information (IP address, user agent, etc.) for their customer portal.

In addition, the absence of logging does not preclude a service provider from monitoring network activity in real time. Some level of monitoring is ultimately necessary for engineers to identify server loads so they can determine excessive strain on the network and plan for expansion. Ultimately, whether a provider actually logs user activity is not auditable by end users, making it a question of trustworthiness. If you're particularly security conscious, it may be advisable to ensure that your provider is located in a region outside intelligence cooperatives, such as Five Eyes (or the expanded Fourteen Eyes), so that they can't be compelled to turn over user activity to investigative authorities.
]]>Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +00005G: The next-generation wireless network is finally a reality, and businesses remain eager to embrace this new technology. 5G will be popularized via telecom carriers and the marketing of wire-cutting services, as well as connecting the Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, and analytics infrastructure with minimal latency. In December 2018 through January 2019, Tech Pro Research surveyed 164 professionals to better understand how companies plan to use 5G and how soon they plan to invest in it.

Survey respondents answered the following questions:

When does your company/organization plan to use 5G technology?

How do you think 5G deployment will affect your business?

What are some ways your company/organization plans to use 5G?

How is your company/organization preparing for 5G deployment?

Can your company/organization's existing/legacy infrastructure systems take advantage of 5G?

If your company/organization is not planning to use 5G, what are the reasons?

Survey results showed that the majority of respondents (85%) either use 5G technology currently or plan to adopt it sometime in the future. Introducing new technologies and faster mobile transfers represent the two biggest reasons why respondents plan to introduce 5G. For example, 58% of respondents expect 5G to provide better connections for IoT applications and improving content delivery. While 23% of respondents intend to use 5G to enable smart vehicles.

5G enthusiasm did not spread to all of the survey respondents. A minority of respondents do not foresee adopting 5G tech. Of those respondents, 36% are taking a wait-and-see approach to the technology. Not being able to access 5G technology remains a large hindrance to adoption for 61% of respondents, and 53% of respondents cite the price tag associated with new technologies from stopping them from moving forward with 5G deployment.

Nevertheless, the majority of respondents agree that 5G is inevitable, and they are preparing for it accordingly. This could mean looking at ways 5G can improve upon existing technology or setting aside integration concerns and re-platforming legacy applications for cloud-based access. Interestingly, 21% of respondents plan not to prepare for the new technology at all.

To read all of the results from the survey, plus analysis, download the full report here: ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature. For details on future Tech Pro Research surveys, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the guidelines:

One of the principal drivers of any growing business is its relationship with past, current, and future customers. Knowing what products and services customers purchased, are purchasing, and will purchase can drive growth and offer clarity for enterprise strategies and planning. However, such a sophisticated and interactive customer relationship requires much more than the mere maintenance of customer contact information.

A successful, growing, and thriving business enterprise operating in today’s always-connected world must gather and manage information on a grand scale to be effective. Customer relationship management (CRM) software and services offer the best solution for businesses looking to establish a personal, dynamic, and interactive relationship with their customers.

Whether your enterprise uses an on-premises software solution or opts to contract services from a cloud-based provider, CRM provides the tools you need to generate sales leads, market your products and services to prospective customers, and personalize your customer interactions. Modern CRM systems offer dozens of features that can jumpstart growth for just about any business in any industry.

]]>Wed, 23 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000
We’ve come a long way from the days of visiting user workstations to install software using a pile of floppy disks. As a systems administrator I’d say we’re able to effectively work with both local and browser-based cloud applications. Some programs with high CPU/memory/video RAM requirements are always going to run better from your hard drive, but there is a whole slew of applications that run perfectly fine online – much better than local versions, in fact, since the user isn’t dependent on the system or the software installation involved.

One such example of an ideal online program is the productivity suite, which Wikipedia defines as “a collection of productivity programs intended to be used by knowledge workers. The components are generally distributed together, have a consistent user interface and usually can interact with each other.” These tools involve word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, email capability, collaborative tools, and conferencing functions – and can serve as the lifeblood for an organization. Productivity suites provide a standard interface for users and are managed by the hosting providers, so you don’t need a local IT department to handle support or updates, nor do you have to worry about different versions of software on different company computers.

One of the most effective ways to keep track of your projects and activities is to jot down a few words about them—in real time or near real time—so you don’t forget what they were. You can include as much detail as you want, but even something like “Evaluated accounting packages” may be enough to jog your memory. You don’t have to invest a lot of time in this process, either—a couple of minutes here and there is much better than dealing with The Gaping Void of Lost Memories later.

If you have more than a couple of minutes, consider dashing off a sentence or two that captures what worked/didn’t work, what you might do differently next time, and any data you can scare up that supports the success of the projects you’re most proud of. How should you approach this recordkeeping process? You could go old school and write on a legal pad or in a calendar book. You might take the spreadsheet route, maintaining a workbook with tabs for various categories of events and activities. You could record voice memos or use a note-taking app like OneNote, Evernote, or Google Keep. And there are scads of online and mobile journaling apps out there waiting to make this an efficient and painless task. The main thing is to find an approach that’s sustainable for you—because the key is to stay as up to date as possible.
]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the cheat sheet:

Can you describe a software development project you worked on in which you overcame a new challenge?

The candidate described having to develop a software interface that properly calculated sales tax by zip code throughout North America. His current employer required the new capability, which he wasn’t familiar with. So he consulted with potential vendors, conducted internet research, and taught himself what he needed to know to complete the initiative.

How do you do ensure that deadlines don’t slip when managing multiple initiatives?
The candidate described the methods he follows when prioritizing work. His methods include leveraging daily scrums and providing regular status reports to his manager to make sure priorities and projects remain on track with deadlines.

Do you have any experience working within our specific industry?
The candidate has worked within the financial services and manufacturing sectors.

With which programming languages do you have the most expertise?
The candidate earned Microsoft MCSD certification and has worked with Microsoft Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, Azure, ASP.NET, PHP, and Python technologies.
]]>Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the policy:

Policy guidelines
Severe weather conditions or other unexpected events that infringe upon or prevent normal business operations or place personnel in jeopardy will be the basis of decisions involving the closing of one or more company locations. Senior management will be responsible for determining whether to close the facility (or facilities) during the following situations:

Chemical spills, gas leaks, or downed power lines

Dangerous activities (terrorist attacks, shootings, etc.)

Earthquake

Fire

Flooding

Hurricane

Power outage

Snow storm or ice storm

Tornado

Any other threat or situation not listed that may render the company incapable of normal operations or that places staff at risk

Where possible, advance notice should be given to employees regarding the status of the company when it appears likely that one of these conditions will justify making the decision to close, such as when meteorologists predict a significant storm is en route to the area or the governor has asked all residents of the state to remain off the streets.

If one of the above conditions occurs nearby but not in direct proximity to the company, senior management will decide whether the company remains open. If the decision is made to continue normal business operations, note that employees living in the affected areas (or who must commute through these regions) may be affected. Employees should always be encouraged to do what makes them feel safest in these scenarios, whether remaining at home or at work until the situation has resolved, but their decisions could affect their pay.]]>Mon, 07 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000From the cheat sheet:

Which network switching technologies are your familiar with?
The candidate has Cisco CCNA certification and has experience working with Cisco and Dell network switches.

Describe how you would resolve a situation in which an ISP blamed the local network for voice issues you believed might be due to a provider problem.
The candidate provided as an example a case in which a malfunctioning data circuit contributed to voice quality issues. The telecom provider was initially reluctant to open a service ticket to address the issue, saying there were no active alarms on its network. But the candidate collected traceroute logs showing packet loss, sent that information to the provider, and based on that data the provider opened a ticket and determined a routing card was failing at a central office in a rural area.

Which telephone and network troubleshooting tools have you previously used?
The candidate regularly uses both the Windows and Linux command lines to perform basic IP testing. He also uses Cisco diagnostic software and Fluke Networks hardware to isolate issues and diagnose the cause of errors. He regularly uses Wireshark to perform packet analysis, as well.

How do you work to maintain your telephone skills?
The candidate keeps current with voice and network technologies and solutions by attending vendor webinars, completing online training courses, and reviewing industry trade publications. He is interested in attending industry events at which new products and technologies are released or promoted, but his current employer doesn’t offer or support such opportunities.
]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000From the ebook:

What is a brute force attack?
Brute force attacks involve repeated login attempts using every possible letter, number, and character combination to guess a password.

An attacker using brute force is typically trying to guess one of three things: a user or an administrator password, a password hash key, or an encryption key. Guessing a short password can be relatively simple, but that isn’t necessarily the case for longer password or encryption keys—the difficulty of brute force attacks grows exponentially the longer the password or key is.

The most basic form of brute force attack is an exhaustive key search, which is exactly what it sounds like: trying every possible password solution (lowercase letters, capital letters, numbers, and special characters) character by character until a solution is found.

Other brute force methods attempt to narrow the field of possible passwords by using a dictionary of terms (which is covered in more detail below), a rainbow table of precomputed password hashes, or rules based on usernames or other characteristics known about the account being targeted.

Whichever method an attacker chooses, the processing power needed to perform a brute force attack can be intense, especially when faced with modern encryption techniques. To solve that problem, attackers have turned to specialized hardware that looks a lot like a cryptocurrency mining rig.
]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000From the tips:

The later releases of Firefox have a lot of really handy, but somewhat hidden, features. One such feature allows you to search for a string of text on a web page simply by typing. In other words, you no longer have to hit the Control-F key combination. Although that may not sound like a huge timesaver, if you find yourself constantly searching through web pages during your busy day, cutting out seconds per page can add up. Besides, skipping that key combination could be a real boon to those who aren’t quite as adept on a keyboard.

However, this new feature isn’t enabled by default, and it doesn’t work on pages that require input (so if you’re typing on Google Docs, you still need to use Control-F.) But on non-input pages, all you need to do is start typing.

Let’s enable the feature and see how it works.

To enable the feature, click on the Menu button in the upper-right corner of the Firefox window and click on Preferences. In the Preferences window, scroll down to the Browsing section and then click to enable the Search For Text When You Start Typing feature. That’s all there is to it.

Just close out the Preferences window and visit a website. Once the page loads, start typing a search string and Firefox will find the first instance of the string. If it’s not what you’re looking for, hit the backspace key until you delete the string and type another. If the string lands on a link, hit the Enter key to open the link.
]]>Mon, 10 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000 From the cheat sheet:

How do you do ensure that deadlines don’t slip when managing multiple initiatives?
The candidate described using Asana and previously, Basecamp, to keep colleagues and coworkers aligned and working efficiently. She conducts daily “scrum-like” meetings and regularly distributes status reports to stakeholders and managers to help ensure projects remain on track and prioritized.

Do you have any experience working within our specific industry?
The candidate has experience working within the fast food, financial services, insurance, manufacturing, health care, and communications sectors.

With which Web languages do you have the most expertise?
The candidate has earned Microsoft MCSA certification and has experience working with HTML 5 and CSS 3. The candidate said she’s also familiar with XML, JavaScript, ASP.NET, PHP, and Perl.

With which Web platforms are you experienced?
She’s previously worked with WordPress, Weebly, Wix, Joomla, and Drupal. She’s also used Go Daddy and Register.com extensively to reserve domains, coordinate SSL certificates, and administer DNS settings.

Do you have experience working within other development environments, such as DevOps, Kanban, or Waterfall?
The candidate does not have experience working in other environments. But she expressed an eager willingness to adopt more formal methodology.]]>Tue, 04 Dec 2018 00:00:00 +0000